How do you adjust for this game?

Sloth · #1 10-08-2003, 07:39 PM

last night I found myself in a very loose/aggressive short-handed (5 players) 10/20 game.

Pre-flop was usually 2-3 bet. lots of re-raising with K5o. Check-raise bluff attempts, etc.

I dropped down to $200 before I adjusted and played tighter then I would normally do in a short-handed game. I always protected my blind, and managed to spring a few traps. took a yo-yo trip with my chips but managed to cash out +500.

I didn't feel in control of the game, even though I was confident I was much better then 3 of the players and even or slightly +/- with the last opponent. i just decided to leave on an upswing, convinced the yo-yo ride would continue.

tsarrast · #2 10-09-2003, 10:43 AM

easy... first, tighten up the starting requirements, especially if it looks like there will be 3 or less players to see the flop (ESP heads up).

second, if they are still aggro post-flop, let them do some of your betting for you on the early streets if you have a good hand (sounds like you did set traps)... and mix up your play by being aggressive at times yourself. Since they're loose, and there are 5 players, don't bother bluffing too often (of course you have to at times), but save them for raised pots with only 1 or 2 opponents (i say raised because dont waste bluffs on tiny pots, preflop raises double the size of the pot, save your bluffs for them).

Kevin J · #3 10-09-2003, 12:08 PM

When you feel lost and are not in control, reaching for racks is probably the most powerful +EV play you can make. IMO-

Bokonon · #4 10-09-2003, 12:17 PM

I LOVE games like this.

It's simple. Tighten up, play only good cards (Group1-Group3 should do) and when you hit the flop, let them do the betting for you. Any run of good cards you get on a table like this is going to earn you two or three times what it would on a tight table.

Of course, you might not get any good cards, and so lose a bunch of blinds for 20 or 30 or 40 hands. C'est la vie. The EV is still extremely +.

(I'm sure that a better player will be able to give you additional and more useful advice, but I'm pretty confident that just sitting back and waiting for a good hand is enough of a strategy to put you in the black.)

SoBeDude · #5 10-09-2003, 02:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
When you feel lost and are not in control, reaching for racks is probably the most powerful +EV play you can make. IMO-

[/ QUOTE ]

Great post